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Cape Bernier Vineyard has a mix of soil types and weather conditions specific to this location. This provides a unique "terroir" which is reflected in the characters and flavours of our fruit. We work closely with our wine maker Julian Alcorso to ensure that we optimise our vineyard outcomes to make Cape Bernier wines the best that they can be.
Our aim is to produce wines of the very highest quality and which reflect the unique terroir of our site.
The fruit quality from Cape Bernier has been exceptional in all vintages so far. Consequently, we have produced very high quality Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Cabernet-Merlot wines. Winemaker Julian Alcorso and his colleagues at Winemaking Tasmania Pty Ltd have been key to this outcome.
We have seen significant improvements in grape quality through all vintages 2005 to 2009. The older vines generally produce fruit with more intense flavours and the fruit/tannin/acid balance has improved. We are now seeing clear varietal expression together with the unique characters which reflect the terroir of this site. This is apparent in all three of the wines sourced from our own fruit - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
Our aim is to produce wines of the very highest quality and which reflect the unique terroir of our site. Our Cape Bernier wines are classic examples of what can be achieved when Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines are grown in a genuinely cool climate. The fruit flavours are crisp and intense.
Our Cape Bernier Pinot Noir is our "flagship" wine and a classic example of the best features of a Pinot Noir produced in the coolest of cool temperate maritime climates. Sparkling fruit and spice characters, complemented by soft oaky tannins, a firm structure and great cellaring potential. A wonderful food wine!
The first wine from each vintage is our Pinot Gris. This variety absolutely loves our site and the wine shows a range of flavours from soft citrus, dominant apple and pear, and strong honey characters. We make the wine is a style consistent with the traditional Gris style from Alsace. To achieve this we ripen the fruit to the point where the berry flavours are turning from citrus to honey. The mouthfeel is silky and succulent. The 2008 Pinot Gris wine has been so popular it sold out in about 9 months. Our new 2009 vintage Pinot Gris was available in early August 2009 but by November most had already been sold!
Our Chardonnay 2008 is a superb example of a new style Chardonnay - a complex of pure fruit flavours, focussed on the citrus end of the spectrum with white peach and a touch of honey, is seamlessly integrated with French oak. Created from wild and cultured yeasts and oak from several suppliers and forests this wine is a class act.
The Chardonnay 2007 offers a slightly broader style with butterscotch and honey on the mid-palate as a counterpoint to the citrus and peach. We have chosen a lightly wooded style to add complexity through barrel fermentation without the oak dominating the fruit.
Our Cape Bernier Cabernet-Merlot is sourced from another vineyard in southern Tasmania as our own site really stretches the limit for ripening these grape varieties. The aim is to produce a "new world" fruit-driven wine in a soft, easy drinking style. Our Cabernet Merlot has the plummy and mulberry fruit flavours of Merlot with characteristic Cabernet astringency. Softer and less complex fruit flavours than the Pinot Noir, but more of the savoury tannins of the Cabernet sum up the differences with our Pinot Noir.
All of our Chardonnay vintages have won medals at Wine Shows:
Chardonnay 2008 won a Bronze Medal at the 2009 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards
- our Chardonnay Pinot Gris 2006 was awarded a Gold Medal (55.5 pts) at the 2008 Winewise Small Vigneron Wine Awards
- our Chardonnay 2005 was awarded a Silver Medal at the November 2006 Hobart International Wine Show
- while the Chardonnay 2004 was awarded a Bronze Medal at the January 2006 Tasmanian Wine Show.
All of our Pinot Noir vintages have won medals:
- 2007 was awarded Bronze at the 2008 Hobart International Wine Show and 2009 Tasmanian Wine Show
- 2006 was awarded Bronze at the 2008 Hobart International, the 2009 Tasmanian Wine Show, the 2008 Winewise and 2008 National Boutique Wine Awards, and 4 1/2 stars by Winestate magazine in May 2009
- 2005 was awarded Silver at the 2007 National Boutique Wine Awards
- and 2004 was awarded Bronze at the 2006 Tasmanian Wine Show.
All of these wines have rewarded cellaring for several years.
Our Cabernet-Merlot is made in a soft, approachable and ready to drink style and has proven to be very popular. The 2005 vintage was released in November 2006 and sold out by October 2007. The 2007 vintage was released in December 2007 and sold out in July 2009. The 2008 vintage Cabernet Merlot is now available and is steadily moving out the door of the warehouse.
Chardonnay 2008Our Chardonnay 2008 is a superb example of new style Chardonnay. The crisp, pure fruit flavours are complemented by the complexity of wild and cultured yeasts, fermented in a mix of French oak barrels from several suppliers and forests. The fruit flavours emphasise the citrus (grapefruit) supplemented by white peach and honey. Volume: 750ml |
Pinot Noir 2007James Halliday rated at 94 pts! ("Australian Wine Companion 2010") Our Pinot Noir 2007 is a full-bodied wine with a lovely balance between the fruit, soft tannins and a firm acid backbone. The fruit flavours are integrating nicely with the oak, showing a complex of wild berries and damson plums. Volume: 750ml |
Cabernet-Merlot 2008The wine is balanced and fruit-driven, with the characteristic plum and mulberry from the Merlot being complemented by the blackberry characters of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are firm but soft, and offset the fruity characters achieving a fine balance to the wine. Volume: 750ml |
Pinot Noir 2006Combining heady aromas, typical Pinot Noir varietal expression and the characteristics of our particular terroir, our multi-medal winning Pinot Noir 2006 shows a wonderful fruit, tannin and acid balance. It is ready to drink now but will reward careful cellaring. Volume: 750ml |
Chardonnay 2007James Halliday rated at 94 pts! (Australian Wine Companion 2010") The wine continues our pattern through previous vintages of blending about 10% Pinot Gris with the Chardonnay. This vintage introduces barrel fermentation with one and two year old French oak to provide a subtle oak treatment. This adds complexity to the intense cool climate fruit flavours in a fresh crisp style of Chardonnay featuring integrated fruit and oak characters. Volume: 750ml |
Pinot Gris 2009The varietal apple and pear characters extend to citrus at the front palate and honey to the mid-palate. A delicious wine and a perfect match for seafood, cheese and chicken Volume: 750ml |